Bouffard to play two sports at Dominican

Lisa Bouffard could never choose between basketball and softball at Wallkill, and she never had to because she excels in both.

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

Lisa Bouffard could never choose between basketball and softball at Wallkill, and she never had to because she excels in both.

She'll continue to do the same at Dominican College.

After a weekend visit to Dominican in the Rockland County town of Orangeburg, Bouffard, a Wallkill senior, has made a verbal commitment to play both basketball and softball for the Chargers. She will receive a full scholarship.

"As soon as I walked into the gym, I knew that's where I wanted to go," Bouffard said. "The atmosphere there, it's friendly. It's a family. The girls are close to each other and they're all really talented. The coaching staff is all incredibly nice."

Dominican is a Division II member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Bouffard, a 5-foot-10 forward, is an all-around threat on the basketball court. She is averaging 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds 3.9 steals, 3.7 assists and 2.7 blocks for Wallkill (11-1) this season.

"Lisa is absolutely going to contribute immediately for Dominican College," said Wallkill coach B.J. Masopust. "She's such a great athlete and such a versatile player, she was going to contribute wherever she chose to go."

On the softball field, she pitches and plays shortstop and third base. Bouffard hit .500 with 29 RBI and 22 runs scored during the 2012 season.

Dominican's softball team has won three straight CACC tournament titles and reached the NCAA East Regional round four consecutive seasons.

"It's really great to see someone in today's day and age, where too many kids are focusing on one sport, it's nice to see a great athlete like Lisa able to play both," Masopust said.

Bouffard, who plans to major in elementary education, knows she'll have plenty of work to do in college in trying to balance two sports and her schoolwork, but that's nothing new for Wallkill's two-sport star.

"There are people who say that's going to be hard and it may be too hard or I should only play one sport, but since I was 4 years old I would go from school to practice and then another practice," she said. "It's always been like that for me. It's almost like I'm used to it. I've never had a break from sports and that's been my whole life. That's all I know.

"It's going to be a different level because now it's college and it's not high school sports anymore, it's more serious, but it's still the same thing. I'm still going to have to go to practice and make time for my schoolwork."